Assam's Batadrava Than to be developed like the Golden Temple of Amritsar

Guwahati: The Assam government has undertaken a megaproject to develop Batadrava Than in Bordowa, Nagaon, like the famous Golden Temple in Amritsar.

A fund of Rs 155 crore has been sanctioned for the ambitious project to develop Batadrava Than, the birthplace of Srimanta Sankaradeva, as an ideal place of religious and cultural tourism.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Assam Finance, Health, Education and PWD Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma will inaugurate the project shortly.

Preparations are on full swing for the inaugural ceremony of the much-anticipated project.

Assam CM Sonowal and finance minister Himanta Biswa Sarma have emphasised on their commitment to developing Batadrava, the birthplace of Srimanta Sankaradeva into a magnificent tourist destination.

Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma while addressing the Independence Day programme in Morigaon this year, said, "I offer a solemn commitment on behalf of the people of Assam, to transform Batadrava Than in Bordowa, the birthplace of Mahapurush Srimanta Sankaradeva, by enhancing the grandeur and magnificence par excellence."

'Than' means a sacred place in the Assamese language. It was derived from the Sanskrit word 'Sthan' meaning 'place'.

Batadrava Than in Bordowa in Nagaon district, Assam is one of the sacred 'than' founded by Srimanta Sankaradeva. It is named as Sri Sri Batadrava Than. Sankardeva set up the first-ever 'Kirtanghar' here in 1468. The importance of this place is also derived from the fact that the saint was born at Alipukhuri- Bordowa in 1449.

After Sankaradeva's 12-year-long pilgrimage in 1493, he began to preach his Vaishnavite religious ideas at Batadrava Than, regularly and systematically.

Sankaradeva's ideas were based on Bhagavata Purana.

The 'Than' is also Sankaradeva's first institution for the propagation of 'Eka Sarana Nama Dharma', which was founded by him.

He had also built the 'Monikut' together with the 'Kirtanghar' and the 'Cari-Hati' (four clusters of quarters) for the accommodation of his disciples.

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